


can you let me know (i'm wanted)

by finkpishnets



Category: Days of Our Lives
Genre: Amnesia, Coda, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 03:50:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12950682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/finkpishnets/pseuds/finkpishnets
Summary: Will’s the last person he wants to see.





	can you let me know (i'm wanted)

**Author's Note:**

> this is just a tiny episode coda for 12/7/17, because will was amazing and because paul deserves all the happiness and hot guys trying to get in his pants, ok?

  
  
  
Will’s the last person he wants to see.

Knowing he’s probably been hovering downstairs whilst Sonny sat Paul down and broke his heart somehow makes the situation a thousand times worse, and Paul’s forgiven Will for the past, he really _has_ , but this isn’t that Will, and it doesn’t make it any easier to open the door hoping, _hoping_ , that Sonny’s changed his mind, only to be faced with that dry smirk and wandering eyes for the second time in as many hours.

“Your chat all done?” Will says, and Paul wants to slam the door in his face, wants to shake him and ask why he’s doing this to him, why he can’t just leave well enough alone.

“Please leave,” he says instead, fingers tight around the doorframe.

He’s expecting Will to ignore him, to barge in and start throwing around innuendos, but Will’s expression shifts as he searches Paul’s face. It’s not a look Paul recognizes on him, and that shouldn’t be a surprise — Paul barely knows Will, even with everything they’ve shared — but the twist of his mouth is something soft and new and scary.

“What happened?” Will asks, and it’s not casual or defensive, and Paul can feel his own expression cracking.

“Nothing,” he says. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” Will says, eyes glancing back into Paul’s room, but not taking a step. “You’re upset.”

“Of course I’m upset,” Paul says, and he can feel the anger and the hurt molding into something ugly inside his chest. “I got ditched at the altar by the man I love because his dead husband’s back on the scene, and said dead husband won’t seem to get the hint to _leave me the hell alone._ ” 

Will doesn’t flinch, doesn’t move, just tilts his head to the side as if he’s working something out.

“He broke up with you,” Will says, and Paul wants to punch him, wants to scream and shout and let this anger out into the universe before it suffocates him. “Is he _crazy?_ ”

Paul blinks. “—What?”

“He must be,” Will says, as if he hasn’t brought Paul up short. “Wow. What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s already married to you,” Paul says, because isn’t that the point of all this? Hasn’t it been the point since Ben brought their worlds crashing down? “He _loves_ you.”

Will rolls his eyes, and Paul wants to tell him to stop being dismissive, but it’s oddly comforting. “Yeah, sure,” Will says. “He loves me — the me I apparently used to be, anyway — but, I mean,” he waves a hand at Paul, “have you _seen_ you?”

“I don’t think looks have all that much to do with love,” Paul says, gritting his teeth, and Will laughs.

“Well, a, yeah, they definitely do, and b…” He stops, bites his lip in a way Paul refuses to let be distracting, and shifts back into that soft, new person Paul doesn’t recognize. “I may not remember the past, but here and now? You’re easily the nicest person I’ve met since I got here. I mean, from what I can tell, you’ve been nothing but kind and understanding about this whole thing, even though it obviously sucks for you, and if Sonny wants to be with some guy who cheated on him rather than the guy who’d stand by him through this shitshow? He’s out of his mind.”

“That’s…nice of you to say,” Paul says, “but it’s a lot more complicated than that.”

“Everything is,” Will says, “but I still think it’s stupid.”

“You don’t even know me,” Paul says, and it sounds desperate to his own ears. He loves Sonny, really _loves_ him, but right now he just wants Will to keep talking, and he doesn’t care if it’s comfort or vanity or…

_Or._

“I know, I don’t, but it’s not hard to see you’re a good guy. Also, I mean,” Will raises an eyebrow and his mouth pulls back into that smirk that sings of danger, “you’re easily the hottest man I’ve ever seen in real life.”

Paul can feel the heat spreading over his cheeks, watches Will’s eyes track it down his neck, and wonders how a broken heart can beat this fast. 

Will’s tongue darts out to wet his lips, and Paul needs to put a stop to this _right now,_ geez.

“Thanks,” he says, straightening his shoulders and staring Will down.

Will snorts.

“Sure,” he says, “any time.”

“How can you laden something with _that_ much innuendo?” Paul asks before he can stop himself, and Will’s eyes widen in surprise and amusement.

“ _Wow_ , I like you,” he says, and Paul would really love to stop blushing, any time now.

“Weren’t you leaving?” he says, wondering if it’s too late to start looking for some dignity.

“Was I?” Will says. “Because I heard rebound sex is awesome, if—”

“ _Bye_ , Will,” Paul says, and this time when Will laughs it’s loud and real.

“Bye Paul,” he says, and knocks his fist against the doorframe before turning down the hall. He stops before he reaches the end, and Paul has a moment to be embarrassed that he’s still standing in the open doorway, but Will doesn’t seem surprised.

“Can I read the article?” he says, and Paul frowns, momentarily confused.

“Oh. Sure? I mean, it’s your article.”

“Yeah,” Will says, “but it’s about you.”

“If you want to read it, read it,” Paul says, and Will nods, pleased. He looks like he wants to say something else, and Paul can practically hear it, _‘I wanna know if it’s obvious we were sleeping together’_ , but he doesn’t, just shakes his head and hesitates.

“I meant it,” Will says eventually, “any guy must be crazy not to want you.”

It’s not the words he was hoping to hear from the guy he was hoping to hear them from, but—

It’s _nice_ , hearing he’s wanted. Feeling it in Will’s gaze and the memory of his kiss. He can barely remember what it’s like to be someone’s first, instinctual choice, and the rush of it is almost enough to dilute the ache of hurt that’s settling in for the long run.

“You’re not such a bad catch yourself,” he says, and hears the flirtation in his own voice, lets it carry, just to _see_ — “When you’re not being a total son of a bitch, anyway.”

“Would it be too forward to say ‘call me’?” Will says, and Paul smiles, lets it flood over him, just for a moment.

“Have a nice day, amnesia boy,” he says, and closes the door on Will’s laugh.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> come chat with me on [tumblr](http://madroxed.tumblr.com/) any time!


End file.
